The participle

1. Forms and Functions

	Active	Passive
Indefinite Participle (Participle 1)	asking	being asked
Past Participle (Participle II)	—	asked
Perfect Participle	having asked	having been asked

Indefinite Participle (Active and Passive) shows that the action named by the Participle takes place at the same time with that of the finite verb. These forms denote simultaneous action in the present, past or future.

□ Do you see the child waving the flag?

□ That day we stayed at home watching TV.

□ In a few minutes the guests will be arriving wearing smiles and carrying presents.

Past Participle has no tense distinctions; it has only one form which can express both an action simultaneous with and prior to the action expressed by the finite verb. In most cases it denotes priority or refers to no particular time.

□ He is a man loved and admired by everybody.

□ The dog carried by the child gave a sharp yelp.

□ She took the long forgotten letter out of the bag.

Perfect Participle (Active and Passive) shows that the action named by the Participle pre­ceded that of the finite verb. Its forms denote priority to a present, past or future action.

□ Having explained everything, I want to tell you how sorry I am.

□ Having finished the letter, he went to the post office.

□ Having settled the problem, you will find something new to worry about.

NB! A prior action is not always expressed by the Perfect Participle with some verbs of sense perception and motion: to see, to hear, to come, to arrive, to seize, to look, to turn, etc. The Indefinite Participle is used even if priority is meant.

□ Hearing footsteps he rose and went to open the door. Услышав шаги внизу, он пошел открывать дверь.

The Participle has special forms to denote the Active and Passive Voice.

□ When writing letters, he doesn't like to be disturbed.

□ Being written in pencil, the letter was difficult to read.

□ Having written the letter, he went to the post-office.

□ Having been written long ago, the manuscript was impossible to read.

Russian Equivalents of Participles Used as Attributes

ACTIVE

Russian	English	Examples
1. читающий, который читает	READING	□ Look at this reading boy! He is only five.
2.читавший*,	READING	□ We looked at the reading boy. He had a nice voice
который
читал (тогда)
3. прочитавший,	who HAD READ	□ The boy who had read the poem now was taking
который		part in the discussion.
прочитал
(раньше)
4. который	who WILL READ	□ We've never heard of the actor who will read the
будет читать	(is going to...)	poems.